Assembly mounting and interlocking means for plural pushbutton switches



July 5. 1966 3,259,699

C. M. G. DU TEMPLE DE ROUGEMONT ETAL ASSEMBLY MOUNTING AND INTERLOCKING MEANS FOR PLURAL PUSHBUTTON SWITCHES Filed June '7, 1963 United States Patent 3,259,699 ASSEMBLY MOUNTING AND INTERLOCKING MEANS FOR PLURAL PUSHBUTTON SWITCHES 7 Claims. (Cl. 2o0-s This invention relates to electric switching assemblies or multiple electric switches, and in particular to such switches with push-button controls as are used in electrical or electronic appliances for performing the switching of a plurality of circuits. I

It is an object of the present invention to enable, starting from a reducednumber of different switching elements each controlled by an operating element such as a push-button, the formation of more or less complicated, multiple switching assemblies for a great variety of applications.

The invention consists in assembling and attaching on a single supporting bar, any number of switching elements which may incorporate any number of switches actuated by the same push-button and capable of being arranged on the said supporting bar in any desired order or spacing.

The present invention is a switching assembly comprising a plurality of electric switching elements assembled and fixed parallel to each other on a single transverse carrier bar, each of the said switching elements comprising projecting and recessed fixing and locating means, which are identical for all the switching elements and which interlock with fixing and locating elements of substantially complementary form on the carrier bar, the latter incorporating at least one element lOcKing the switching elements on the said carrier bar.

The attaching elements are preferably of the bayonet joint type, and the locking of the switching elements on the supporting bar is obtained by distorting a part of the said bar preferably constituted by a metal channel section.

The invention preferably includes an unlocking device reciprocally releasing the switching elements particularly applicable to a switching assembly such as that described above. Such an arrangement has the purpose of making at least some of the push-buttons dependent on each other in their action: e.g., the actuation of any one button produces the release of the corresponding, linked buttons. In accordance with the invention, the unlocking device preferably comprises a sliding rod or bolt coacting with all of the associated buttons and arranged inside a carrying bar in a space provided between the bottom of the said bar and the face thereof opposite to the switching elements associated therewith.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a switching assembly in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of a switching assembly before assembly;

FIG. 3 is a detailed, perspective View of the manner of attaching the switch elements on the supporting bar;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of another switching assembly in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a partial sectional view perpendicular to the axis of the supporting bar;

FIG. 6 is a partial sectional view of the locking element reciprocally securing the switching elements depending thereon; and,

FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate the manner of action of the locking element.

The switch assembly shown in FIG. 1 consists of five switching elements 2 to 2 which are each actuated by a push-button 4 to4 with two positions, and which are assembled on a carrier bar 6 consisting of a metal channel section formed in its central webs with holes 7 through which the selector elements 9 of the individual switches can pass.

At one end 8 (FIGS. 2 and 3) the casings of insulating material carrying fixed-terminals 10 of the switches, are provided with projecting bosses 12 which engage and lock by means of a bayonet joint, by a push and lateral sliding motion, in L-shaped notches 14 cut in at least one of the flanges of the section bar 6.

In the preferred form, shown in FIG. 3, bosses 12 and notches'14, 14' are provided on the two, upper and lower faces of the switches and on the two flanges 16, 16 of the section bar.

A shoulder 18, 18 made on the two opposite faces of the insulating casing, bears against the edge of the flanges 16, .16 and positions the switches on the carrier bar.

In FIGS. 1 to 3, the switch elements 2 to 2 are mounted side by side, i.e., the spacing of the notches 14 is equal to the width L of one switch element.

When the last switch 2 has been fitted in place on the carrier bar, all the switches are locked in place against each other by depressing a lug 20 on one of the flanges or at the base of the section bar 6, as indicated by dash lines in FIG. 3.

It will be seen, in FIG. 4, that the spacing between the switch elements 2 to 2 can be made greater than their widths, and the switches individually locked in place by bending down the individual, depressible locking pieces 20, located at the carrier bar adjacent each switch. The spaces thus created between the switches can be arranged to receive accessories such as condensers (capacitors) or resistances (resistors), which are thus located in direct proximity to the switch terminals, thus reducing the length of the necessary connections to a minimum.

It will be clear from the preceding that, using a reduced numberof standard switch elements, it is possible to form switching assemblies of the most complicated and varied character.

The free spaces at the ends of the shortest switch ele- I ments may be arranged to receive coils or the like 21, enabling still further miniaturization of the assembly.

The assembly of such arrangements is simple and rapid since-it is suflicient, when all the switch elements are in place, and the locking lug or lugs have been depressed, to engage the return springs 22 on the parts of the selector elements 9 projecting outside the section bar 6, and to hold these springs in place in the usual manner, by resilient rings 2'4, before fitting in the place the push-buttons 4. Holes 26 made in extensions on the bar 6 enable the switching assemblies according to the invention to be titted in such appliances as radio receivers, television Patented July 5, 1966 .invention, the locking length D (FIG. 3) of the switch elements is made shorter than the depth of the section bar and in the opposing face of the insulating casings of the switches a narrow gap 27 (FIG. is left along the whole bar, which may be arranged to contain a locking rod 28 sliding longitudinally and having holes 30 30 and 30 (FIG. 6) for the passage of the selector elements 9.

If it is required that some of the switches (for instance 2 and 2 in FIG. 2), shall be interdependent, their selectors are provided with notches 32 having a bevelled edge abutment (FIGS. 2, 7 (and 8), which locks on tongues such as 34 34 projecting into openings 30 30 A spring 36, suit-ably attached to the bar 6, tends to push the locking rod 28 against the notches 32, so that (FIG. 7) when one of the buttons corresponding to the selectors 9 or 9 is pressed, the locking rod 28 is pushed in the direction of the arrow 38 (FIG. 6) by the bevel of the corresponding notch, which frees the other selector (FIG. 8) if the latter was in the engaged position. It will thus be seen that pressing a single button unlocks all the other interdependent buttons.

In the case shown in FIGS. 2 :and 6, the switch 2 is independent due to the fact that the corresponding opening 30 of the locking piece 28, does not contain a tongue 34.

In such case, the switch may be equipped with an independent locking system for one or the other of its positions.

We claim:

1. A multiple pushbutton switch assembly comprising a plurality of elongated switch casings of equal or different length each containing pushbutton operated contact means,

an elongated assembling member, means for removably anchoring said casings in parallel relationship to said member at longitudinally spaced points thereof, and deformable means forming an integral part of said member adjacent to each of the switch casings for locking said casings in the anchored position thereof.

2. A multiple pushbutton switch assembly comprising a plurality of elongated switch units of any desired length,

an assembling bar having a longitudinal bottom portion 1 and two longitudinal mutually facing lateral portions to receive one end of said units therebetween, a plurality of longitudinally spaced keyways cut out of the longitudinal edges of said two lateral portions, a plurality of longi tudinally spaced slots cut out of the longitudinal edge of one of said two lateral portions so as to leave a deformable tongue between each keyway and each slot of said one lateral portion, and each unit comprising a casing, each casing having key means at one end thereof adapted to engage any of said first-mentioned keyways, and said tongues being effective, when deformed, to lock said casings in engaged position thereof.

3. A multiple unit switching assembly comprising the combination of a plurality of parallel switch accommodating housing elements, a single mounting and positioning bar means, an associated push rod for each housing element adapted for actuating switches to be contained therein and said bar means being channel-shaped in crosssection and having an axial extent greater than the total width of a plurality of said housing elements, said bar means including spaced flange means and a connecting web means, said web means having a plurality of slots therein spaced axially of the bar means and each adapted to position and determine the axial movement of said push rods and each slot having a cross-sectional area sufiicient to accommodate at least an associated push rod, each of said housing elements having a positioning surface extending parallel to the axial extent of said bar means and cooperating with one of said flange means to fix the position of the associated component in a direction perpendicular to said bar means, and bendable tab means on the flange means to be displaced relative to an associated housing element in a plane parallel to the major axis of said elements relative to one another and to the bar means,

so as to maintain the major axis of each component in alignment with the axis of the associated slot.

4. A multiple unit switching assembly comprising the combination of a plurality of switch accommodating housing components, mutually cooperating switch elements enclosed by the components, an actuating rod for each component having one end enclosed by the component, each of said housing components being substantially identical in cross-sectional shape, and wall surfaces on each component at a position adjacent at least one end of each component, said wall surfaces defining a laterally extending surface positioned inwardly from said end an identical distance with respect to each housing component, each: housing component having at said one end a portion with a cross-sectional area similar in shape but different from the cross-sectional area of the major portion of the components, a unitary positioning and assembly bar means having a length greater than the width of a plurality of said components and having at least two surf-aces at angles to one another, one of said surfaces having a number of slots therein sufiicient to accommodate a plurality of said components in side-by-side parallelism with the axes of said gaps determining the line of axial movement of the respective actuating rods, and bendable tab means on the bar means for cooperation with each associated component whereby a selected plurality of components can be associated in parallelism and secured to said elongated bar means with the actuating end of each rod on one side of the major axis of said elongated bar means and at least the major axial extent of the associated housing components on the other side thereof.

5. A switching assembly comprising a plurality of switch elements all having respective casings formed identically at one end of each with a locating shoulder and a projecting boss spaced from said shoulder; an elongated supporting channel section having a central web and opposed flanges, each of said casings having their said ends received between the flanges of said section, and at least one of said flanges being formed with spaced outwardly-opening L-shaped notches located to receive the respective bosses of said casings as the latter are inserted with their said ends between said flanges, and to retain said casings when they are slid along the channel to engage their respective bosses behind the hooks defined by said L-shapednotches; said shoulders being positioned to thereupon engage snugly against a terminal edge of at least said one flange, and at least one of said flanges being provided with at least one bendable tongue positioned to be engaged behind a trailing edge of one of said inserted switch casings when the latter has completed its sliding movement.

6. A switching assembly in accordance with claim 5, at least one of said flanges is provided with a bendable tongue formation adjacent each of said L-shaped notches, to be engaged behind a trailing edge of a respective inserted switch casing when the latter has completed its sliding movement. 3

7. A multiple pushbutton switch assembly comprising a plurality of switch elements having casings with one end of each profiled to an identical rectangular shape, an assembling bar having a longitudinal bottom portion and two longitudinally mutually facing portions, each of said mutually facing portions having a plurality of longitudinally spaced recesses cut out from the longitudinal edges thereof, integral bayonet formations on said casing ends to fit within said recesses for securing the casings to the assembling bar with said ends disposed between the I lateral portions thereof, shoulders disposed adjacent said ends on each of said switch element casings in abutting engagement with at least a longitudinal edge of one of said mutually facing portions to define a clearance space between said casing ends and said longitudinal bottom portion, a pushbutton operator for each of said adjacent switching elements projecting through an aperture in said bottom portion of the assembling bar, 'cam and lock formations on each of said operators, a cam operator locking rod disposed in said clearance space for sliding motion lengthwise over said assembling bar in response to depression of said operators and for locking said operators through the cam and lock formations, said casings extending from said assembling bar in a direction perpendicular thereto and in mutually parallel spaced deployment.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 947,722 -1/1910 Sweet 200 5 1,056,759 3/1913 Mallery 174- 5s 3,091,671 5/1963 Hutt 200 -5 6 FOREIGN PATENTS 204,118 12/ 1958 Austria. 1,205,750 8/1959 France. 1,126,963 4/1962 Germany.

713,458 8/1954 Great Britain. 802,836 10/ 1958 Great Britain.

ROBERT K. SCHAEFER, Primary Examiner.

BERNARD A. GILHEANY, KATHLEEN H. CLAFFY,

Examiners. M. GINSBURG, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A MULTIPLE PUSHBUTTON SWITCH ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF ELONGATED SWTICH CASINGS OF EQUAL OR DIFFERENT LENGTH EACH CONTAINING PUSHBUTTON OPERATED CONTACT MEANS, AN ELONGATED ASSEMBLING MEMBER, MEANS FOR REMOVABLY ANCHORING SAID CASINGS IN PARALLEL RELATIONSHIP TO SAID MEMBER AT LONGITUDINALLY SPACED POINTS THEREOF, AND DEFORMABLE MEANS FORMING AN INTEGRAL PART OF SAID MEMBER ADJACENT TO EACH OF THE SWITCH CASINGS FOR LOCKING SAID CASINGS IN THE ANCHORED POSITION THEREOF. 